GCACC Business Connection December 2022

YOUR CHAMBER

Chamber Business Connections is published bi-monthly by the Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce with revenue from member dues, advertising, and sponsorship. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the content in this publication, by any method or purpose whatsoever, without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Only chamber members can advertise in Chamber Business Connection. To plan advertising contact the chamber.

Your Board

Lisa Zeigler

President

Chris Moscato

2023 President Elect

Nick Connaughton VP Finance

Ed Fleming Immediate Past President

Rachel Kutay VP at large

Kay Anderson

Katie Antry

Wayne Coakley

Greg Dawkins

Lisa Graves

Heather Miller

Lynn Weita

Trent Soles

Dylon Sparks

Staff

Executive Director

Shawn Conrad Events Manager Marilyn Reiner

Administrative and Events Coordinator Heather Brokaw Kaziah Conrad Member Service Specialist

Letter from the Director

Hard to believe that 2022 is nearly over – or maybe it’s not so hard to believe! I hope that your 2022 has been filled with good things, good people, good times, and good memories. On behalf of the GCACC Board of Directors and staff we send you wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a healthy, successful, and prosperous 2023.

Your Chamber team is here to help you in any way we can; please connect with us and let us show you how to make the best out of your GCACC Benefits Portfolio! We hope that we’ll see you at events like the Annual Meeting (Feb. 8), our multi–award winning Farmers’ Market, Taste of GC, the Golf Outing and of course during everything Arts in the Alley and Boo off Broadway. You and your team can volunteer during events and help us as we support local charities through the Chamber Gives Back initiative.

Together, we can celebrate your business with an After-Hours networking event, and you can share your knowledge at a POWERHOUR event or at one of our leadership programs. Don’t forget that you, your employees and their families are eligible to apply for scholarships through our Foundation, and for discounts at partner universities.

Your choice to join the GCACC was a GREAT decision – let’s work together to make it work for you in 2023.

-Shawn

From the 2022 GCACC Board President

I hear so many people commenting that 2022 has been a blur that has come and gone so quickly, and I’m not sure I disagree. But in the middle of that blur your Chamber has been working for you and for our community. The GCAC is a remarkable organization, and I am truly humbled and honored to have been the first person to hold the position of GCACC President twice. There has so much accomplished this year; Annual Meeting with record attendance, Farmers’ Market winner of the Cbus and Best of the Bus Awards, new format for A Taste of Grove City, sold out Golf Outing, WE:LEAD Women’s Business Forum, the Arts in the Alley Community Parade, the Voice of Grove City, the 43rd Arts in the Alley Festival with more vendors and more visitors than ever in its history and of course our newest event – Boo Off Broadway where thousands of little ghosts and princesses got treats from nearly 60 participating businesses– it was a BLAST!

We held ribbon cuttings, grand openings, before and after hour networking events along with POWER HOUR luncheons and more. We gave money to local charities and our Foundation distributed thousands of dollars in local scholarships. I would like to thank the GCACC Board and staff, the hundreds of volunteers who dedicate their time to the work of the GCACC, our 750 member businesses and our incredible community. I won’t be pulling a third term as President next year, but you’ll see me at Chamber events and all things Grove City. I’m proud to live here and I’m proud to have been part of an organization that is fully and completely dedicated to serving our community.

-Lisa Zeigler

From Our 2023 President

he Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce has experienced unprecedented growth and support from member businesses and our community. In 2023, the Board of Directors will serve Chamber members and staff fortifying signature events while expanding on how the Chamber will serve you and the Grove City community. GCACC continues to analyze member benefits, advocate for members, and drive the conversation for the betterment of member businesses. Many new faces will be joining the Board of Directors in 2023 broadening perspectives from passionate members who are eager to serve our community. We look to continue expanding Arts in the Alley, WE:LEAD Business Forum, Young Professionals (YP) Forum, Boo off Broadway, South-West Leadership Academy and Voice of Grove City. Community fan-favorite events such as Taste of Grove City, Chamber Open and the Farmer’s Market will continue to provide organic marketing and outreach to amplify our message.

We are thrilled to share that the Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce will launch our first strategic planning sessions to create a strategic roadmap. This will ensure the vision of GCACC’s mission is maintained and guide our actions and intentions for years to come. We look forward to sharing our progress throughout 2023 and are eager to engage key stakeholders to ensure our plan brings to life the vision of Grove City for the next 5, 10, and 15 years to come. Focusing on member engagement, journey mapping and determining the Chamber’s North Star will empower the Board, staff and members to identify future opportunities and determine how the Chamber can best fulfill our mission to create a positive environment for the development and success of business.

-Chris Moscato

Incoming 2023 GCACC Board President

2023 CHAMBER EVENTS

Like many, we’re getting ready for 2023 and all of the great Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce events that come with it! Use this list to mark your calendars, and don’t forget that sponsorship opportunities will be available with every event listed below!

First up is our Annual Meeting on February 8, 2023 at The Ballroom at the Pinnacle. This is held as a breakfast event that finishes up just in time for the work day. Registration opening soon.

2023 2023 Events Events

Annual

Meeting & Awards Breakfast

February 8th Saturday's Starting May 13th

Join us to celebrate with your fellow business leaders During this event we recap the past year, celebrate success and look to the future!

April

Our signature spring event A Taste of Grove City showcases many amazing restaurants from around Grove City Enjoy four weeks of yum and find out who has the best eats in town!

Proceeds from this event go to the Mid Ohio Food Collective

Forum

May 24th

July 10th

For over 30 years, area farmers and artisan crafters have brought the best of spring and summer's harvest to the streets of the Grove City for 18 weeks each year This event supports the Grove City Food Pantry

September 15th - 17th

The Women’s Business Forum has grown each year and boasts multiple breakout sessions, a dynamic keynote speaker all in a fantastic full day event held at the Aladdin Shrine Center in Grove City WE LEAD hosts various networking events throughout the year Proceeds from this event will fund a scholarship for women in business

The Chamber Open is a long standing golf tradition in our community held at Hickory Hills Golf Club

APRIL

Networking with local community members and business owners This event ends with a delicious dinner and silent auction A portion of the proceeds from this event goes to Grove City Buddy Ball

One of central Ohio’s longestrunning music and arts festivals, going strong for over 40 years, features over 100 juried Artists and Crafters, 5 art shows and concessions supporting local community organizations Day 2 of the festival kicks off with a parade ! This event supports Life Care Alliance and The Grove City Girls Club

Fall for the Foundation Fundraiser

September 15th - 17th

The phenomenal newest addition to the Arts in the Alley family, The Voice of Grove City This three day singing competition is held during the Arts in the Alley festival. Registration opens up early summer

October 20th

The Grove City Chamber Foundation hosts its annual fundraiser This well attended, exciting event is designed to bring awareness to the mission, success, and needs of the Foundation This event funds scholarships for The Foundation

October 28th

The newest addition to the Chamber event family- Boo Off Broadway allows local businesses to connect with the Grove City Community Enjoy family friendly activities, music, special guests and more! Support's the American Pie Party

Celebrating Anniversaries

ONE YEAR:

The Buckeye Ranch

Community Housing Network

G and R Holdings

AL Washington Insurance Bee Known Social LLC

Pouka Art & Photography

Colonial American Development Corporation

John G Galasso, Attorney at Law Thompson Solutions LLC

World Leaders Academy, Inc.

Title Connect Agency

Music Makers Piano Studio Golden Corral Grove City Dollar Shave Club

FIVE YEARS:

Grove City Area Realty Association

Neighborhood Bridges Grove City Ohio News Media Association

Advance Industrial Manufacturing Inc ViaForge

The Ohio Army National Guard Chet’s Auto Repair

NCJC Housing & Development Foundation Cugini & Capoccia Builders—CCBI Homes

TEN YEARS:

Lamplighter Senior Village

VRC-Vital Records Control

MT Business Technologies, Inc.

Fusion Japanese Steakhouse

Highland Baptist Church Brocon Construction Inc. Stoner Periodontic Specialists McGuire Driving Academy Ltd.

FIFTEEN YEARS:

Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio American Legion Post 164 Donatos Pizza-Broadway AMS ProServ

WestPark Rehab & Memory Care, a Macintosh Company Coldwell Banker-King Thompson/Kay Kaho

Doorway Home Loans is here to serve you with personalized and efficient service for your home mortgage. Doorway can put potential clients in touch with the loan that best fits their needs, and find loans designed for them that might be overlooked otherwise. Locally, Matt Rogers is here to serve Doorway Home Loans clients with experience and service skills.

¾ 741 Sullivant Ave., Columbus Õ 513-652-3271

Ô doorway.com/ohio/mrogers/

The Wild Seed is a new Groovy Plant Vibes shop that inspires joy, growth & self love through a unique collection of houseplants and curated gifts for the soul. No matter your plant interest (or even experience with plants) there is something for everyone at this new shop in Grove City’s Town Center, which celebrated its Grand Opening on October 27.

¾ 3407 Grant Ave., Grove City Õ 614-257-8750 Ô facebook.com/Thewildseedgc

Buckeye Heating, Cooling and Plumbing offers 24/7 HVAC repair and plumbing services to the Grove City area. Their focus is on residential home services and providing top-notch services, in addition to quality customer care that includes educating customers on their options in addressing the problem at hand. They have been serving the Columbus area since 1948.

¾ 1018 Proprietors Rd., Worthington Õ 614-647-5248

Ô buckeyeheat.com

Oakmont

The

AAA Travel- Grandview Ave.

Michelle Cross

The Provisus Group at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

Buckeye

Garth

|

NON PROFIT SPOTLIGHT

We’ve loved sharing news of our non-profit members in 2022, but we want to wrap up the year by giving a little love to all our non-profit organization members, and sharing how you can get involved with them as 2022 comes to a close, and even next year.

Many non-profits are hosting end of the year drives whether for food, clothing, or monetary donations so that they can serve our community members in need this holiday season and into the winter. Chances are, you have a favorite holiday time drive, but if you’re looking for an organization to help, check out our non-profit and civic organization page of our Directory: https://business.gcchamber.org/list/ql/family-service-civicorganizations-31

Is one of your goals in 2023 to be more active in the community? Maybe you want to give to others in a more active manner? So many of the above-linked organizations would love volunteers. Check out the list and consider what matches up with your interests and see what volunteer availability they have. Many are still struggling to return to pre-pandemic numbers of volunteers, while also trying to do more.

Want to connect with other Chamber members while you volunteer? We have opportunities within the GCACC! One of our popular volunteer opportunities is our Farmers’ Market running from mid-May to midSept., but there’s always something to do around here! Keep an eye on your weekly newsletters and email blasts for volunteer sign ups, and if you don’t see an opportunity, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at the office and say “I want to help!”—call us at: 614-875-9762.

We wish you a happy, healthy holiday season and hope that one way or another you are able to make it a season of giving.

Upcoming Events

12/2: Heart of Grove City Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting

The celebration kicks off on Friday, December 2nd at 7 pm with the Christmas Parade. The Town Center tree lighting with Santa follows immediately after the parade.

12/3: The Antry Isaac’s Team | Pictures with Santa December 3rd, 2022 | 11:00 am – 1:00 pm located at 3703 Broadway Grove City OH 43123 Free Picture with Santa! Please bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate for Firefighters for Kids! Visit us at 3703 Broadway for a free picture with Santa, face painting, crafts, snacks, and more! Please bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate for Firefighters for Kids

12/5: Donuts with Santa at Jolly Pirate Come see Santa at your Grove City Jolly Pirate. Bring your camera for a free photo and every kid gets a free donut! Free admission, free photos, and free donuts!

12/10: The Fitness Movement Open House Saturday, Dec 10th (10 am- pm) 3044 Southwest Blvd Grove City, oH 43123 (next the the BMV) www.fitness-movement.com 614-374-4021 Discounts Samples Giveaways For Members and Non-Members THE FITNESS MOVEMENT NO RESERVATION NEEDED Drop in for as little or as long as you like Workout clothes not required, but encouraged Fitness Demos FRIEND BRING Health and Wellness Vendors Nutrition Specialists’

For more member events visit https://business.gcchamber.org/events/calendar

MAKE THE SEASON MERRY AND BRIGHT WITH CHAMBERMEMBER BUSINESSES

With well over 760 GCACC members, there are lots of different businesses and organizations represented, including some who help put the happy into the holidays. Check out our ideas of how you can support and work with fellow Chamber businesses this holiday season!

Shopping & Gifts

We have some wonderfully unique retail members who would love to help you find the perfect gift for someone, or everyone, on your shopping list. Make it a classic day of shopping with a friend or family member! When we say there’s a store or boutique for everyone, we aren’t kidding. Check out the full list of shopping and specialty retail members: https://business.gcchamber.org/list/ql/shoppingspecialty-retail-23?o=alpha

Dining

Whether you’re dining out with one, or looking to hold a holiday meal for your entire team, the many restaurant and dining Chamber members are ready to serve you! If you’re looking to book catering, we encourage you to act quickly so the restaurant can best serve you and your date isn’t already booked. Check out the directory list of restaurants: https://business.gcchamber.org/list/ql/restaurantsfood-beverages-22

Get out of the House

Looking for a night away from the house? Maybe book a trip and gift an experience rather than things? From local hotels to our travel agent members, they would love to play a role in making this one of your best holidays ever. Check out travel-related members here: https://business.gcchamber.org/list/ql/lodging-travel-15

Give Back

Want to support the community and do some good before the year ends? Our many civic and non-profit organizations would love your support as they do work to serve our community. Check out the list here: https://business.gcchamber.org/list/ql/family-service-civicorganizations-31

But Wait… There’s More!

We have so many other members who could serve you, or you may need their services, this holiday season and into the winter season. From activities to get out of the house, to home services to keep the heat and plumbing functioning properly, we’re happy to say we have a GCACC member (or members) for that! Use the full Member Directory List to browse by additional categories, or search by the keywords of what you need. View the list here: https://business.gcchamber.org/list

SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISER, NEW OPPORTUNITIES, AND MORE...

The Grove City Chamber Foundation hosted another successful fundraiser in support of their yearly scholarship efforts.

Community members and other supporters of the Chamber Foundation gathered together at the Aladdin Shrine Center on October 21 for a night of food, fellowship and entertainment. Attendance was up from 2021 making for greater support for the Foundation, and more fellowship amongst attendees.

Guests were treated to a delicious dinner catered by L A Catering and many musical and entertainment acts, including Tracy Carter Music, comedians Travis Hoewwisher and Shaena Rabbani, and piano by students from Central East Ohio Music Teachers Association from their Out & About program.

Many silent auctions were up for bid making for additional funds raised and as always a little friendly competition in trying to win muchwanted items. All funds raised from the evening will go directly toward the Foundation’s 2023 scholarship efforts. 2023 scholarships will include opportunities for local high school students and Chamber members and their employees all seeking post-secondary degree and certificate opportunities.

The Foundation’s fundraiser and year-round scholarships wouldn’t be possible without the many sponsors who make it possible. As 2022 comes to a close, the Grove City Chamber Foundation would like to recognize the following sponsors:

• Gold Sponsors: Franklin County Banking Center, Myers Jewelers, Credit Union of Ohio, Telhio Credit Union.

• Silver Sponsors: OhioHealth, WesBanco

• Bronze Sponsors: Kemba Financial Credit Union, Newcomer, Capital City Mechanical

• Copper Sponsors: Danbury Senior Living, Byers Chevrolet, Elford, Columbus Prime Realty, BeLocal Grove City, Al Washington Insurance, Grove City Family Dentistry, Cruise Planners-David Todd, Shelley Davis.

• Friends of the Foundation: Blu-Willy’s, The Howard Family, Morley Parren Bright Insurance, Moses Mouser & Associates, MKOB Properties LLC, Pinnacle Pets Play & Stay, Precision Jewelers, Treplus Communities.

Attendees, and those who would like to attend next year, can go ahead and mark their calendars for October 20, 2023 for next year’s Foundation fundraiser.

As 2022 comes to a close, there is one more opportunity for a Chamber Affiliate Scholarship with a deadline of December 17, 2022. Visit https://gcchamberfoundation.org/scholarships/ for full details and the application.

Going forward, the Chamber Foundation is excited to announce two new year-round fundraiser opportunities. The Foundation has partnered with two Farmers’ Market favorites—Silverbridge Coffee and Jose Madrid Salsa. Coming into the holiday season, these would make great gifts, but also tasty ways to support scholarships anytime.

As the year comes to a close, consider giving a year-end donation to kick of the Foundation’s 2023 efforts, or consider how you/your business could be a sponsor in 2023. Learn about those opportunities and more at: https://gcchamberfoundation.org/

To support the Chamber Foundation by purchasing Silverbridge Coffee, visit: https://gccfcoffee.square.site/

To support the Chamber Foundation by purchasing Jose Madrid Salsa, visit: https://tinyurl.com/salsafundraisergccf

Thank you to all of our sponsors, supporters, guests, and friends! See you next year.

Writing a Resume that Will Get You Hired

by Rachel Kutay from My Business Resource

In any given week, our team views hundreds of resumes and sees posts by job seekers online. As many people are looking for a new opportunity in 2023, our team has put together some tips for what makes resumes work and what doesn’t! Look at your resume with a critical eye and give it a refresh before applying to that next job.

Many resumes nowadays are submitted to an applicant tracking system (ATS). Formatting, font and style can help you or hurt you as soon as you submit your resume.

• Submit your resume as a Word document. Don’t scan your resume or submit it as a PDF, text, or picture file.

• Remove the fancy formatting, spacing and fonts – an ATS can’t read it. Left-justify your resume and remove as much formatting as possible.

• Don’t put your contact information in the header or footer, leave it in the body of your resume.

• Add a target job title (that matches the title of the job you’re applying for).

• Include your e-mail and LinkedIn address as hyperlinks on your resume.

Other tips for having an up-to-date resume:

• Get rid of the “objective” paragraph. It’s old and outdated.

• Get rid of the childish / inappropriate e-mail address.

• It isn’t true that resumes must be one page. List the qualifications and experiences that will help you get the job.

• On the other hand, you don’t need to include every job you’ve ever had. List the positions that are relevant to what you’re applying for – the part time job you had in high school isn’t relevant twenty years later. The general rule of thumb is to go back ten years.

• Don’t list the year(s) you graduated from high school or college. It can inadvertently advertise your age.

• Don’t include your photo on your resume, there isn’t any reason for it, and it might get automatically rejected by the ATS. On the other hand, having a professional headshot on your LinkedIn profile is highly recommended.

• Don’t include your salary. You’ll have this conversation once you get to the interview.

• Include your cell phone number. More and more recruiters are texting candidates, so make it easy to reach you!

• Leave off personal information – your age, marital status, how many kids you have – none of those things are legal to discuss in an interview, so keep them off your resume.

Finally, have someone professional review your resume for typos and grammar. Your resume might be the only opportunity to introduce yourself to your new employer, so take the time to make it a great introduction!

Holiday Time Management

The end of the year and the holiday season seems to be a stretch of time where there just aren’t enough hours in the day—dark or daylight.

There are still 24 hours in a day, and no we haven’t figured out how to change that, but we can change up how we use our hours in a day and how we keep track of everything requiring our time. Let’s go over some ‘biggies’ for managing our time through the new year.

Write it Down

Santa has his list… and so do you! Ok, maybe not a Santa-style list, but if it’s something that needs done, it needs written down. This might look different for everyone as one might prefer the traditional planner, while others need it digitally. Others may need it in both places, plus three more! If it’s an event, make sure the date and time are blocked off so you’re not double or triple booking yourself or others.

Set Boundaries

Some may have mastered this, and for others it’s a never-ending battle to draw the lines between work and home. Our families deserve our full attention, but our work obligations also need a strong finish. This will also look different for everyone and may come down to some careful planning depending on your type of work or the season of life for your family.

Delegate

Santa has elves, you have… ok, you may or may not want to call friends and co-workers your ‘elves’, but you have people around you who are ready and capable of jumping in to assist. If you’ve taught your team members well, they are more than capable of handling tasks in your absence. In your personal life, a family member or friend may be happy to help with a task and they are only waiting for you to invite them in.

You Time

They say you can’t pour from an empty cup, so don’t forget to take a moment for yourself to recharge. Similarly, as you get deep into the holidays and celebrating, take a step back to soak up the moment and memories rather than checking the time.

A Few Planning Tricks…

We’re all wired to think differently and need different ‘tricks’ to help us stay on track! Here are a few that we’ve tried or intend to try:

• You might already do this… but don’t forget that phone alerts and reminders can be handy for those “I absolutely cannot forget this” items • Tired of being late or working until the last minute on something? Move up your deadlines or arrival times. Set the Friday deadline project as due by Wednesday and tell yourself the 6pm dinner is at 5:30 (pm, am is a little excessive…).

Whether you’re living from one phone reminder to another, or you’re asking Santa to send all the sticky notes and to-do lists, we hope you ultimately make the best use of your time this holiday season. We wish you well in wrapping up business for 2022 and hope you’re able to enjoy some down time with your favorite people as we look forward to 2023.

THE MAGIC & SUPERPOWER OF SPREADING LOVE

By Sarah Hann

The superheroes, princesses, and characters of Magical Adventures Parties aim to show the magic of kindness and the greatest superpower of all: love.

One of the newest non-profit organizations in the community and the GCACC family, Magical Adventures Parties aims to spread joy through character appearances and support children and family-related organizations. Though many come together to make the magic happen, Magical Adventures Parties was created by Bri Walstra as her love of princesses and performing came together with a passion and desire to serve others.

Once Upon a Time Bri’s background in music and performing includes being certified in music therapy and having many musical performances under her belt. Her childhood was filled with singalongs and dressing up, setting her up for a future in some form of performance. As she worked with kids in music therapy sessions or acting classes, she wanted them to leave feeling important and loved.

But she never felt completely fulfilled in the performing arts and rather wanted to feel that she was doing something for others. And as light comes from darkness, so Bri’s idea came about during the pandemic.

“The year 2020 really expeditated my passion for making a change,” she said. “I felt broken, as I’m sure many of you did as well, and I wanted to share kindness and love.”

By June 2020, Bri signed all of the necessary paperwork for Magical Adventures Parties and received the 501(c)(3) status a few months later. Starting a non-profit in the middle of a pandemic was no easy feat, but Bri had her goals in sight.

“I came up with the organization’s slogan first before I even had the name or any other ideas,” Bri said. “‘The Greatest Superpower We Have is Love’.”

The Royal Mission

The mission of Magical Adventures Parties can almost be seen in two parts. First, there is the character appearance side (which of course we’ll discuss more!) which has included superhero and princess character appearances at GCACC events. But, the magic doesn’t end with parties or meet-and-greets.

Additionally, Magical Adventures Parties partners with other family and childrenrelated organizations to support them financially by donating their profits so that these organizations can help improve the quality of life for countless families. So far over $2000 have been donated to area organizations.

“I wanted to make sure we would partner with organizations who focus on helping the families, the community, and those who are underprivileged, and/or may be experiencing life hardships and traumas,” Bri said.

Bri said that those types of organizations include, but are not limited to organizations such as cancer foundations, fostering systems, homelessness, disabilities, mentoring programs, terminal illness foundations. 100 percent of profits are donated to organizations such as this, and typically fund items that are necessities of life but could be overlooked.

“I often like to say, a child can meet his favorite superhero and have a wonderful time, but that interaction can only have so much impact if the child goes home and doesn’t have winter clothes or silverware.”

A Super Visit

But of course the most visible side of Magical Adventures Parties is the character interactions. Characters make appearances at community events, such as the Grove City Farmers’ Market or Boo off Broadway, which accounts for hundreds of hours donated in support of organizations and putting smiles on the faces of children… and their parents who see their child overjoyed.

Additionally, characters can be booked for private events such as birthday parties or similar festivities. Interactions are tailored to the child (or children) as volunteers are well-versed in diversifying interactions so children (and adults!) have the best time possible.

“Not every child or adult we come across is going to be into stories and games,” Bri said. “We want child to be authentic and their true selves during their interactions with our characters.”

Bri also noted Magical Adventures Parties’ diversity in casting by offering what is called transcendent casting where a person of color can play a character that is typically cast as white. This allows cast members more opportunities to perform and gives more “look-a-likes” for children who may not have many of those moments.

“Watching the kids connect their life with the stories of the characters we represent is such a wonderful reminder of why we do what we do,” she said.

No detail is overlooked as members of the Magical Adventures Parties cast hone in on the mannerisms of a character, have topnotch costuming, but above all provide heart-felt interactions that allow children and family members to feel that they have met the real deal.

“Seeing kids’ faces light up and say “Captain America has my hair and my eyes” or a child ask a princess how they grieved from the loss of their family member in their movie; those are the moments that tell me we have created that lasting impact.”

A Jolly Holiday

There’s nothing quite like beloved characters spreading holiday cheer, and that’s exactly how Magical Adventures Parties volunteers will spend some of their December as they have quite a few holiday parties on the books that will benefit charitable groups around the Columbus area. Bri said this includes, but is not limited to the Ronald McDonald House, the Autism Society of Central Ohio, and several locations of the family support area of Columbus Parks and Rec. The holiday season can be a challenge for many, so this is a chance to make a difference.

“We really strive to make an impact, especially during these times.”

Magical Adventures Parties is also booking Grinch visits all of December, with proceeds going toward previously-discussed organizations. As the story goes, the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes that day, and so Magical Adventures Parties will show us this holiday season (and beyond) that the greatest superpower is, indeed, love.

Want to book Magical Adventures Parties, such as Grinch visit? Reach out to Bri and her volunteers by visiting: www. magicaladventuresparties.com/, calling 614-733-9209, or email at: magicaladventuresparties@gmail.com

Tips & Lessons from Bri

With two years of operating Magical Adventures Parties under her belt, Bri has had her share of lessons come her way, but also time to reflect on how to help others establish non-profits or similar organizations. We wanted to share her thoughts separately so the story of Magical Adventures Parties can be enjoyed on its own, and you can consider these tips on their own as well.

One of Bri’s biggest lessons has been that you can’t be a people pleaser—a very hard lesson given that they’re on a mission to make magic. But there is a balance to be found when taking in feedback, growing with new ideas, but also understanding what is considered the focus point or objective.

We can be our own best cheerleaders and critics, and Bri learned to have realistic expectations for her newly-founded organization. Additionally, that comparison is the thief of joy.

“Stop comparing the impact you are making to others impact, because that isn’t your journey, the organization you created is.”

As for advice on starting a non-profit (or other organization/ business), Bri stresses knowing the process and steps involved. When in doubt, reach out and ask someone so you not only know what to do but can learn from their journey.

An important question to ask yourself is ‘why’, as in why are you on a mission to start this business or establish this organization. The ‘why’ and the business/organization’s purpose will be the fuel as you strive toward your goal.

“I think anyone can turn their ideas into an actual organization, but there needs to be an established “why” and “for what” in mind.”

A s a m e m b e r o f G C A C C y o u a r e o f f e r e d d i s c o u n t e d a d v e r t i s i n g w i t h i n t h e c h a m b e r p r o d u c e d p u b l i c a t i o n s ; o u r B u s i n e s s C o n n e c t i o n EM a g a z i n e , B u s i n e s s W e e k l y C o n n e c t i o n e - n e w s l e t t e r , A N D o u r s o c i a l m e d i a c h a n n e l s W e a r e a l r e a d y r e a c h i n g y o u r t a r g e t a u d i e n c e i n t h e G r o v e C i t y a n d C e n t r a l O h i o a r e a . P a r t n e r w i t h y o u r c h a m b e r b y p u r c h a s i n g a n a n n u a l a d p a c k a g e a n d s a v e .

R E A C H

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